Students like me.

Students like me.

From the Little Rock Nine courageously enrolling at Central High School in Arkansas in the 1950s, to young people at Standing Rock risking their lives to protest the Dakota Access Pipeline, to today’s youth-led movement to stop gun violence, students pave the way for some of the biggest movements in the country.

In the weeks following the Parkland shooting, I’ve been absolutely amazed by the power of youth voices. To see students like me — students whose only concerns should be tests, college applications and friendship drama — challenging the entrenched power of some of our nation’s most powerful interests is awe-inspiring.

I have watched my classmates solemnly rise from their seats to walk out; I have witnessed peaceful protests of flag-waving teenagers chanting that enough is enough; I have felt chills while watching videos of student speeches at the March for Our Lives. I have seen the power of our nation’s youth. I’ve learned a lot about the power of my own voice through my work in the newsroom at Youth Radio.

That’s where Youth Radio comes in. Our team of young journalists work to uncover the truth about stories that are often missing in the conversation here in Oakland and across the country. Time and time again, important youth storylines are misrepresented or completely excluded from the narrative.